Of Shoelaces, Wolves and Worms
by SuperNatural1985
Summary: Nick has a problem that requires a patient father's attention. One shot


I own nothing except for some original characters I sometimes bring in. Kelley Armstrong owns the Otherworld and all the wonderful information there.

**Of Shoelaces, Wolves and Worms**

"Daddy I need you." Nicky called up the stairs banging his legs on the wood in a unified rhythm as he waited.

"What is it kiddo?" Tonio called and appeared at the top of the stairs looking down on his toddler. Nicky bent his head back and looked up at Antonio grinning before he spoke. His brown eyes sparkled with delight at the immediate attention. One thing Nick loved was notice of any kind.

"I can't walk." he called. Alarmed Antonio looked down the stairs and gazed at his son skeptically. He was obviously moving his legs so he wasn't hurt. Jogging down the stairs he squatted on the step beside Nicky giving him a curious look. Nick giggled and put both hands to his mouth to try and hide it but his eyes were lit with amusement he couldn't disguise.

"What do you mean?" The boy had no injuries he could see; he sniffed and smelt no blood. Nick's cheeks were a healthy pink. He was a completely perfect four year old child, if you discounted the werewolf part.

Antonio swallowed his unease knowing it was common for him to over react when it came to his son, but that was because, his father said, he was only twenty and still a child himself. Antonio disagreed. "My shoes have worms coming out of them." Nicky said and crossed his arms looking quite upset about this development. Antonio could feel the laugh inside of him wanting to come out but he took a deep breath instead. He looked at the boy and then down at a brand new pair of shoes with laces.

"Nicky, where's your Velcro shoes?" The boy shrugged and then pouted knowing this was sometimes effective with his father. He didn't dare do it with his Poppa though.

"Poppa said big boys don't wear Velcro and I'm a big boy so he bought me wormy laces instead." Nick explained making a face. It was Dominic again asserting his dominance and not consulting Antonio about Nicky. It frustrated him to no end but there was little he could do about it. Dominic was the Alpha and Antonio was stuck.

Antonio looked down at the shoes; they were a pair of black and white chucks now popular with kids everywhere. They used to be the poor man's shoes but were more designer oriented these days. He was surprised Dominic even knew what kids liked or what was stylish. He would have expected a pair of tiny toddler loafers like he had been made to wear as a young child or full out dress shoes.

"Well we're just going to have to learn how to tie those worms aren't we; if Poppa bought you new shoes he'll want you to wear them." Antonio told his small son. There was no way to circumvent the Alpha's will. Picking up the boy he made his way down the rest of stairs and sat him on the couch.

"No, I can go barefoot." Nicky protested before smirking and promptly reaching for his shoes. Tonio stopped him before he could, holding Nicky's small soft hand in his bigger firmer one.

"Nope, no Sorrentino is allowed to go barefoot." He informed and Nicky looking grumpy pulled back and crossed his arms making a face.

"I'll teach you an easy way to tie you shoes like a big boy." Antonio promised and sat on his haunches in front of his son. Nicky sighed abjectly.

"Ok Antonio but I don't think it will work." Nicky said and again Antonio had to stop himself from laughing. Nicky was the funniest little kid Tonio had ever seen and he'd been brought up in a pack full of tiny little werewolves. Maybe he was biased since it was his own child, who knew.

"Tell you what, if you learn how to tie your shoes daddy will buy you the plastic bowling pin set you've been hounding us about." Nicky's face lit up at the prospect and he immediately bent down and started fiddling with the laces. Tonio did laugh now and set a hand on the boys moving them away.

"Ok, first let me show you and tell you the shoe tying song." This is the way Antonio had learned and the way he intended to teach his son and hopefully someday his son would pass it on as well. The original song was about bunnies but they had changed it to wolves long ago. It was more appropriate if you ignored the subliminal messaging. "Wolf ears, wolf ears, playing by a tree, criss-crossed the tree, trying to catch me, wolf ears, wolf ears, jumped into the cave, popped out the other side fierce and always brave." Antonio went slowly and looped the laces for Nicky to see and then undid the boy's other shoe doing the same.

Nicky stuck out his tongue concentrating and tried to copy his father but his fingers were too small to master the looping part right away. Determined as ever Nicky kept at it humming the wolf song as Antonio sung for his benefit and tied them again for Nick to see, but by the end of the night he had only made many small knots and nothing resembling a tied shoe.

"It's impossibru..." Nicky moaned.

"Impossible." Antonio corrected annoyed that Jorge had been teaching him to say words the wrong way again. He'd have talk with his nephew later.

"No, it's not but it takes a long time to learn. Right now let's go to bed and tomorrow we can start fresh again." Antonio picked Nicky up before he could protect and tickled him as a distraction as he carried him from the room and upstairs.

Later he lay beside his sleeping son playing with a small curled piece of his hair and watching him sleep soundly. "What do you dream of?" Tonio whispered into the room. He asked every night but never got an answer. Maybe he dreamt of worms and laces.

Over the next few days Nicky carried one black converse shoe around with him everywhere he went, like a teddy bear, and practiced making knots that resembled a school climbing rope more than a tied shoe but he was too determined to care. He ignored Jorge's teasing and Dominic shaking his head and he ignored anymore instruction determined to do it on his own.

"Why not make him a practice shoe?" Jeremy asked the weekend after Nicky learned the wolf show tying song and sung it everywhere he went or hummed it as he tied knot after knot.

"Um?" Antonio asked looking up from the damnable ledger. Once every month he needed to look at the numbers for the company and puzzle out where their strengths and weaknesses were. This was work he hated and dreaded but he was good at it. Antonio wasn't sure what was more annoying, being good at something you despised or being awful at what you loved. He loved being a father but he didn't feel like a very good one lately. How hard should it have been to teach his son something so simple?

"Make him a cardboard shoe, or a wooden one, with a ribbon, or string in it, to let him practice tying a proper shoe knot. Once he has that one down then tying the real one will be easier." Tonio glanced up at his best friend sitting on the couch reading with a curious expression.

"That's how my grandfather taught me though; it took me little time to master the skill." He smiled with a twitch of the lip. In seconds Antonio was up and heading for the back shed where the power tools were kept. Jeremy shook his head and followed his friend who only stopped long enough to grab his shoes and his son. He slung Nicky over his back like a football and the boy howled with laughter clutching his little shoe tightly. Jeremy winked at him behind his father's back following them.

"Nicky, Jeremy just came up with the best idea ever!" he grinned and Nicky laughed and beamed when his father set him down on table in the shed. Jeremy hovered in the doorway for a moment while Antonio grabbed a discarded piece of wood and a pencil. He turned and reaching for Nick's shoe but the boy clutched it to his chest in a death grip looking horror-struck.

"No daddy. It's my shoe." He said sticking his lower lip out just enough to look like a pathetic little wolf cub. Tonio chuckled along with Jeremy who leaned against the wall with crossed arms watching.

"I just want to see it for a few seconds. I promise I'll give it back." Antonio gave the boy a pleading look that made Nick smile slightly. In the end he clutched his shoe even tighter and shook his head.

"Jorge took it the other day and Oliver and they didn't give it back until Poppa made them." Jorge and his brother Oliver were always playing games with Nicky of the older brother/teasing variety. The boys were eleven and thirteen and as often as they treated Nick like a treasured little cousin or brother they also teased him and pushed him around. Antonio's brothers had done it to him and he knew it was natural for boys but it bothered him. Still, Dominic said to leave it be and let the boys play. It drove Antonio to madness sometimes.

"Would I lie to you?" he asked with a smile and walked forward. He leaned down and brushed his nose with his sons. Nicky sighed like he was being asked to walk the plank, or do something equally as drastic, and held it out biting his lip.

"You have two minutes Antonio." He warned imitating his grandfather.

Jeremy laughed out loud and put his hand up to his mouth to stifle it when Tonio glared at him.

Antonio took the shoe and walked to the wooden piece setting it down and tracing the outline on the surface. Seconds later he delivered the shoe back to Nicky who petted it lovingly. Antonio turned to the circular saw and started it up. Nicky yipped and leapt from the table with Jeremy catching him just in the nick of time and picking him up. The boy hated loud noises and usually ran from the vacuum and any power tools. They neither encouraged or discouraged this fear however, and would usually ignore his running off unless he was upset.

When Antonio was done he took the wooden shoe print and drew dots for lace holes cutting them out with the powered screw driver. Antonio was not only a good business man he was a crafty one as well. "Now for the laces," Jeremy said as Nicky lifted his head from the older werewolf's shoulder looking towards his father.

"I'll find something." Antonio assured and set the tools back in their place before walking to the house. Behind him Jeremy was whispering with Nicky about something or other but the man was intent on his project to take much notice. He left the two conspiring and walked about the bottom floor of the house looking for something soft and easy to tie but durable enough for a child to use and not break.

Striding past the front hall table he stopped upon seeing a present sitting there wrapped in silver paper and tied with a blue ribbon. Ribbon! That was perfect. He walked to the present and looked at the tag. It was a gift to Gregory from their father for his upcoming birthday.

They kept ribbon and wrapping in one of the storage areas. Quickly he walked to the room on the second floor and pulled out the drawer with the ribbon. He wasn't sure why they bothered to keep present wrapping material there as they usually had their gifts wrapped at the store. As such the ribbon here was old and instead of silk he felt soft velvet. That was perfect.

Back in the living room Nicky and Jeremy were deep in conversation. Nicky was on Jeremy's knee listening in rapture to a story he was being told. Antonio sat silently and pushed the ribbon through the wooden shoe pinching the ends to get it through. When he was done he held it up and grinned at his master work. He caught the two on the sofa watching and turned it so Nicky could see.

The little boy scrunched his nose and cocked his head confused. Antonio chuckled and stood grabbing the boy from Jeremy and settling him on his lap to explain and work through it with him. Nicky was a visual learner and worked better with being shown rather than told. They sung the wolf song again and again. When Tonio finally pulled back to let Nick try alone he swung his legs and fumbling with the ribbons, his tongue sticking out determined.

Over the next few days Nicky walked around the house with one black converse shoe under his arm and one wooden shoe that he kept knotting into indiscernible shapes. He made all the Sorrentinos and any other pack member he trusted and liked undo it for him multiple times a day.

"I want Velcro." Nick demanded gloomily a few evenings later. Both elbows were on the dinner table and he was sending pleading glances to his grandfather and father.

"Absolutely not Nicholas, you will learn to do this and that is the end of it." Dominic commanded.

Nick pouted slightly looking at his untouched meal and secreting glances at his father who winked at him and sent him a secret smile. "Perhaps it's too soon." Tonio suggested but Dominic growled.

"No, it not Antonio Emilio, he will learn to do this and I want to hear nothing more. Now eat." He growled looking at Nick who hurriedly picked up his fork and stabbed the piece of meat that been cut up for him. He shoved it in his mouth and chewed looking tearfully at his plate but he was wise enough not to cry in front of his Poppa. Antonio would go to him as soon as he could. The best thing about his father was that Nicky could cry all he wanted and Tonio would never get mad.

When Dominic received a phone call from work in the middle of dinner, which they all knew would take the better part of an hour, Tonio stood and walked to his son's chair picking him up. Immediately Nicky threw his arms around his father's neck and laid his head on the man's board shoulders to sob. It was a well-known ritual with them where both knew their parts.

Tonio rubbed Nick's back and whispered soothing words as they walked to the boy's bedroom. Nicky still clutched both shoes tightly immediately relaxed a bit more when he saw, and smelled, his room, his own private area where he could be how he wanted and no one could say anything. "It's ok sweetheart. You'll get it eventually." Antonio whispered and Nicky nodded.

"Pop…Poppa will be…mm…mad if I d…d...doesn't." Nicky gasped in between crying.

"If you don't not doesn't Nick and no, he won't be. I'll talk to him for you. Maybe first we can work on this together again, um?"

"Ok…" Nicky hiccupped quietly. Tonio chuckled and wiped the tears from his son's face with his thumb before he settled the boy on his lap and held up the wooden shoe. Slowly he took Nick's hand and placed them on the ribbon. He then put his own hands over them showing Nick again what to do twice more before he let him try on his own, singing the song in time with him.

Nick tied the ribbon going slow and then shook his head and undid it trying it again. Antonio stayed silent watching and waiting. Nick was a smart boy but he needed a few tries to get new concepts like most children. His third attempt was the closest yet and his fourth was so close Tonio had to hold back his smile and his whoop of excitement.

Sticking his tongue between his lips again he made one last attempt. It was loose and would need to be redone but it was exactly what he had been working at for so long. "You did it!" Antonio laughed loudly and picked Nick up to spin him around. Nicky shouted in joy and laughed when his father spun him around dizzily dancing and swaying him around.

"I want to try again daddy." He shouted.

Half an hour later Nicky and Antonio walked into the Alpha's study with twin wide smiles. Dominic looked up and waved them out but Antonio held up his hand.

"I know your busy dad but Nicky wants to show you something. It will be quick."

"Poppa, Poppa!" Nicky shouted joyfully and ran to the desk showing the man his shoes before the Alpha could say a word. Dominic reached for the boy picking him up and setting him on his lap. Immediately he untied Nick's shoes and sat back crossing his arms. Nicky smiled as if Christmas had come and reached down tying his shoes slowly but accurately.

"Good boy." Dominic laughed and hugged Nicky kissing him on the head. Nick eyes danced with happiness at being back in his grandfather's good graces.

Antonio turned towards the closet in his father's office and opened it pulling out the silver wrapped present. He had bought the toys a few weeks ago when Nick started trying to tie his shoes because he knew Nick would get it. "Here you go kiddo. As promised…" Nick gasped and jumped from his grandfather's lap running to the box. He ripped through the paper in seconds revealing the toy.

"What do you say?" Dominic asked giving Antonio the look he did when he overindulged the boy. Antonio ignored him.

"Thank you daddy,"

"Welcome sweetie." Antonio said helping Nicky rip into the box and take the toy into the hallway to play with. They both ignored the Alpha as they left but only Antonio knew the implications of this that may come later on. In the moment he was happier just playing with his son and ignoring werewolves for now.


End file.
